Sales of weapons to consumers for sport shooting and self-defense have long been regulated in an attempt to reduce the possibility that these weapons will later be used for criminal purposes. Typically, the identity of the purchaser is compared with records from a law enforcement agency to prevent the sale of a weapon to a person known to have used a weapon illegally in the past. The collection and comparison steps burden the weapons seller who would prefer the freedom to sell weapons in the same manner as unregulated goods.
Conventional methods for selling weapons have included the sale of a weapon that cannot be used until a lock or holster is removed. One such lock physically blocks use of the trigger. One such holster encloses all of the weapon except a portion of the handle. Removal of the lock requires the seller to obtain identification information from the purchaser, complete a criminal background check using the information, receive a code, and teach the purchaser how to input the code into the lock. Removal of the holster requires the seller to obtain a fingerprint of the purchaser, perform a criminal background check using the fingerprint data, unlock the weapon from the holster using a retailer's code, input the fingerprint data into a circuit of the holster, and teach the purchaser how to unlock the holster using a biometric sensor of his or her fingerprint.
The prior art systems are cumbersome and add to the burden placed on the seller. Systems and methods are needed to facilitate selling weapons with no additional involvement by the seller. Without systems and methods of the present invention, sales of weapons will continue to be limited, for example, by processes and special purpose equipment that are burdensome on the seller.